Point Buchon Pinnacles

Point Buchon Pinnacles is an offshore pinnacle dive site about 8 miles south of the Morro Bay breakwater, inside the Point Buchon State Marine Reserve. The pinnacle rises sharply from a surrounding floor at 130 feet or more to a top at roughly 40 feet, with sheer faces, ledges, and crevices along the rock. Access is boat-only. Charter and private boats run from Morro Bay Harbor, and the round trip is two to three hours under power.

The hard rock structure of the pinnacle itself is the rocky reef biome here. The sharp vertical relief from the deep floor up to the 40-foot summit makes the site a canyon biome as well, and the open blue water around and above the structure, where larger fish and seasonal pelagic species transit, is a pelagic biome.

Scuba is the only activity. Currents are strong and the pinnacle is best dived on slack tide, while the offshore exposure puts the site out of reach on any moderate swell. The combination of depth, current, and exposure places it outside the range of novice divers.

The Point Buchon State Marine Reserve covers the coast from Coon Creek south to Diablo Canyon and extends offshore across the entire site. All take has been prohibited inside the reserve since its establishment, so hook-and-line fishing and spearfishing are illegal at Point Buchon Pinnacles.